"I actually went in the building with another firefighter. We got to the bar area, and we seen fire, but it was down through the basement and the floor was real soft, so we backed out," McNeill said. "We could see the fire in the basement. We didn't want no one getting hurt, going through the floor."

(RAW VIDEO: Winchester Room Restaurant Catches Fire)

Channel 4 Action News' Shannon Perrine reported that the morning prep crew left before noon, so nobody was inside when the fire started. The restaurant's automatic alarm system notified emergency dispatchers about the fire.

"It's my livelihood. It's our business. Every day, we work for this. This is what we do for a living, this is our income," owner Renee Salmon said.

Locals hope the Winchester Room will be able to get back to what it's known for: "The fabulous steaks that we cook," Salmon said. "You know, it's not a fancy place, but the steaks are awesome."

"It's a well-known steakhouse. They're always busy, especially on the holidays. I mean, they do a good business here. Hopefully, they'll be able to rebuild," McNeill said.

The Allegheny County fire marshal will investigate the cause of the fire after a determination has been made that it's safe to enter the building.